As EAM Jaishankar meets with Pakistan PM Sharif, their handshake signifies a shift away from the tensions experienced in Goa

After arriving in Islamabad on Tuesday (October 15, 2024), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended a dinner hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where they shook hands and exchanged greetings.

On Wednesday, Mr. Jaishankar is set to speak at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting in Islamabad. He is expected to reiterate the concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at previous SCO summits regarding terrorism and extremism in the region, as well as issues related to connectivity and transit.

Neither side has shown interest in holding a bilateral meeting, although Mr. Jaishankar will be present at the same venue as his counterpart Ishaq Dar and the CHG chaired by Mr. Sharif.

When asked by Indian media about the possibility of a meeting, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that no bilateral discussions had been scheduled between India and Pakistan.

Following the dinner and a cultural performance featuring a recital by a Pakistani Bharatnatyam dancer, a senior minister expressed a positive outlook, stating that regional cooperation in South Asia should be revitalized like in the past and encouraged dialogue between India and Pakistan.

“We need to revisit the spirit of the Lahore Declaration,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told journalists, referencing the visit by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999. “That was a peak moment for the leadership of both countries, achieved by Nawaz Sharif and Atal Behari Vajpayee. If we can revive the spirit of Lahore, I believe there is no issue we can’t solve together.”

On Wednesday morning, leaders, including seven Prime Ministers from Russia, China, Belarus, and Central Asian countries, as well as Iran’s Vice President and Mr. Jaishankar, will pose for group photographs. This will be followed by the plenary session of the 23rd SCO CHG, the signing of several documents, and an official lunch at the Jinnah Convention Centre. Mr. Jaishankar is expected to leave Islamabad for Delhi later that afternoon.

This visit is the first by an Indian Foreign Minister in nine years and marks the first interaction between Indian and Pakistani leaders since the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in May 2023, which concluded with a heated exchange of statements between Mr. Jaishankar and then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. While the handshake between Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Sharif was a formality, it stood in stark contrast to the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa, where Mr. Jaishankar pointedly avoided shaking hands with Mr. Bhutto, opting instead for a ‘namaste.’

On Tuesday, Mr. Bhutto, who is no longer in the Cabinet following the elections but whose party, the PPP, supports the government, expressed his welcome for Mr. Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan. His father, Asif Ali Zardari, is the President of Pakistan.

“The SCO is moving forward successfully because it does not let bilateral relations overshadow its agenda, which was one of the reasons SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) did not succeed,” Mr. Bhutto said. “We need to start talking at some point, but we must find ways to address our issues, such as Kashmir on our side and the terrorism concerns that India frequently raises,” he added. He also proposed a dialogue on climate change between the two “most affected countries” regarding this issue.

Last week, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who is the niece of Prime Minister Sharif, publicly advocated for “climate diplomacy” between India and Pakistan to assist those suffering from global warming and air pollution on both sides of the border.

Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Sherry Rehman, who is currently the Minister for Climate Change, told The Hindu that she was not very optimistic about any openings between the two countries during Mr. Jaishankar’s visit. “The Indian Foreign Minister seems to have little interest in taking advantage of the SCO conference or pursuing an opportunity to ease tensions between India and Pakistan,” she said.